


Christmas Cuddles

by Stilienski



Series: Sterek ficlets [17]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, M/M, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 16:03:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9131590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stilienski/pseuds/Stilienski
Summary: A fluffy fic in which the pack exchange adorable presents. And Stiles gives Derek two literal balls of fluff.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Whovie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whovie/gifts).



> Part of the Secret Santa gift exchange, hope you like it! :D

Stiles had always been pretty good at finding gifts for people. Simply because he paid attention to the people he cared about. Unlike Scott, Stiles had never been in a crisis only days before Christmas trying to still find something. He was subscribed to the right newsletters to keep track of upcoming  concerts and such, not once had he failed to get his best friend tickets to some band he loved.

Whenever Lydia mentioned some new author she liked the work of, or some new science subject she was suddenly interested in, he noted it down on his list of gift ideas. Come Christmas he’d have figured out exactly what she’d already bought for herself during the year and what he could still get her.

For his dad he usually arranged a weekend away. A weekend out fishing, a weekend away where they could catch a Mets game or something like that. And for all the other people, well he just kept his eyes open whenever he was out. Stiles was firmly convinced that if  you simply kept your friends and family in mind while walking through a shopping street, you’d always find something that they would love but wouldn’t buy for themselves. Like that amazing machete kitchen knife set he has for Allison. Or the nerf guns and the desk top tabletennis set for Erica and Boyd (aka the most competitive couple Stiles has ever known). Or the scarf with pockets to put your hands in for Isaac, because he just had to get it.

So, yep, Stiles has decent gifts that are at least somewhat original for everyone. Everyone except for Derek. He bought Derek a Game of Thrones mug a while back, but it wasn’t enough. Derek was his boyfriend for fuck’s sake. Stiles couldn’t just give him a mug and be done with it. It needed to be personal and perfect. And sure, he could give him about a million dvd box-sets or books that he knew Derek would love, but it wouldn’t be enough.

That was the whole problem. He had about a million things he could give Derek to make him happy, but none of them would be meaningful enough. This was their first Christmas together, this was the first Christmas Derek would celebrate since the fire. (Because last year they were all too busy trying to find a kanima and falling in love.) And it was Stiles’ job to make sure that Derek’s Christmas was as close to perfect as he could get it.

Stiles knew just how difficult it could be to enjoy a Christmas when you were missing the people you really wanted to be around during that time of year. And he wasn’t delusional enough to think he could make Derek forget about that, or even just take his mind off of everyone he’d be missing, but he could at least try to give Derek a new Christmas memory. One that could show him that he had a new pack now, a new family. It wouldn’t replace the pack he had, it would just be another chance. Derek chose this family and now all that was left was for Stiles to show him just how right that choice was.

But he couldn’t do that without a gift that showed him he cared! Stiles needed a gift that showed Derek that his past was just as valid as his present, but that he could still be happy in the present and that he was  _ allowed _ to be happy.

The thing is, Derek still didn’t share much about his past. Just the occasional funny story about his sisters and the prankwars they had going on, or about taking care of the actual wolves they had in their pack, or about his mom’s cooki-

Before he even let the idea form completely in his head, he was calling Peter.

*****

Christmas was going to be perfect. Stiles had arranged the perfect gifts for Derek. Even though one was still a work in progress. (Yes, it was taking way longer than Stiles thought it would, it was totally worth it though, and luckily he could still give it even though it wasn’t completely finished yet.)

“Someone’s excited,” his dad said as he came up to Stiles who was working on putting the last batch of gingerbread cookies in the oven.

“Of course I am, it’s Christmas!”

“Right, so it has nothing to do with that trip you’re taking your boyfriend on tomorrow instead of spending the day on the couch eating leftovers with me like we do every year?” Sometimes Stiles hated having a sheriff as a father. The man was too observant.

“That doesn’t take away the fact that today is Christmas, which I am excited about.” Stiles said as he closed the oven before turning around and pointing at the door. “Now get out of my kitchen!”

“But then who’s going to keep a bucket of water at the ready for when you inevitably burn the kitchen down?” Stiles simply swatted a kitchen towel at his dad in retaliation.

*****

It was the best Christmas dinner Stiles had had in a long time. There were a lot more people around the table than he was used to, a lot more food, a lot more presents under the tree, and a lot more laughter. It was more perfect than he could have ever imagined. And no one was worrying about the food either. Stiles had been in charge of the desserts, miss McCall had taken it upon herself to make sure there was a perfectly prepared turkey, Lydia had brought a couple of potato dishes and Erica and Boyd had made soup and prepared some vegetables to go with the main course.

All in all there was way too much, really, and Stiles couldn’t wait till they could eat the leftovers tomorrow, but for now he’d had more than enough. He wasn’t even sure he could taste his own cookies anymore. The sigh Stiles let out as he leaned back in his chair said just that. It made Derek smile fondly at him and wrap an arm around his shoulders.

“Done already?” Derek asked teasingly, to which Stiles just elbowed him softly in his side.

“Already? We’re not all werewolves here, Derek.”

“Oh, he’ll be stuffing his face again right after we’re done with the presents.”  _ His dad was such a freaking traitor. _ “He never was good at waiting and being patient and all that.”

“Oh please, keep going, dad. The longer you do, the longer I’ll put you on a diet after this monster meal.” The sheriff rolled his eyes at that, but he did shut up.

“So, presents!” Scott said excitedly and was already going to the tree to fish out the things he got for everyone. Scott always went first, but oh Stiles is the impatient one. Sure.

Stiles actually managed to wait till last to pass around his gifts. Although that may have had to do with Derek going right after Scott, more nervous than Stiles had ever seen him when he gave Stiles a  _ key _ .  _ A key to Derek’s house _ . Sure, it was hidden in the box for the mini BB-8 robot he also gave Stiles, but that didn’t matter when he was given the key to Derek’s house.

He was so flabbergasted that he couldn’t even think about passing around his own gifts. He barely had the concentration to keep from crying in front of his friends and family who would definitely mock him for crying because of a key.

But then it was finally time for Stiles’ gifts. He started with his dad, an envelope like usual, with tickets to see the Mets and a promise to spend time together. Well, sure he gave it every year, but it made the man happy, so why change that? Scott got tickets to go see the Arctic Monkeys with Allison, Allison got that machete kitchen knife set, Isaac got the scarf, Lydia got a couple of science books of which he could barely pronounce the titles and Miss McCall got some yarn and knitting patterns because she’d recently picked up the craft again. Stiles also very much regretted giving Erica and Boyd the nerf guns before the night was completely over, but at least it was fun to see some actual kids on Christmas.

Now Derek… Stiles was still quite nervous about Derek’s present because there was the whole thing about it technically not being finished yet. But the guy already seemed way too pleased with the Game of Thrones mug, so really, Stiles probably shouldn’t have worried so much. He’d hidden the first real present inside the mug: a USB drive with a little red bow around it.

Instead of asking an actual question about it, Derek just looked at him with his eyebrows raised and a curious look in his eyes.

“It’s a digital version of your mom’s recipes.” Stiles explained. “Peter showed me what was left of her cooking journals, I scanned them all in so you still have your mom’s handwritten version and I’m trying to decipher everything together with Danny, he’s good with making pictures clearer and stuff.” Derek’s eyebrows rose a little higher the longer Stiles talked about the gift.

“It’s not finished yet, but that way you’ll have a digital copy of everything, something you can’t lose. Seriously, I’ve got two online back-ups and there’s the USB drive you’ve got right there and I’ve got a back-up on my external hard-drive. Also, I made it so you can search by ingredient, kind of meal, title and occasion. I put the lasagna under birthday because I’ll be expecting it for my birthday.” Stiles took a deep breath once he was done rambling about the gift.

“That’s-… I…” Stiles got a smug smile on his face when Derek was apparently rendered speechless. “Thank you.”

“Also, there’s another surprise, but that trip is scheduled for tomorrow.” And right before Derek could say whatever it was that he was going to say, Stiles added, “And I’m driving. That’s not up for discussion.”

Derek must have really liked his first present if all he could say was  _ okay _ .

*****

If Stiles had been excited about the first gift, he was about to go through the roof for the second one. Because while the first one was thoughtful and meaningful and probably amazing for Derek, this one also promised to be a real treat for Stiles.

He’d arrived at Derek’s place almost 30 minutes earlier than they had agreed upon –  _ and he let himself in with the key he got.  _ But the worst part was getting through the drive to the sanctuary. He had to turn the music up so he wouldn’t accidentally let his mouth run off and just spill the beans to Derek before they even arrived at their destination.

To Stiles’ surprise, instead of understanding, it was a look of confusion that came over Derek’s face as soon as they drove on a dirt road through the woods and passed the sign of “California’s Wolf Sanctuary”. Stiles had been so sure the sign would totally ruin Derek’s last surprise, but apparently not. Huh, maybe Derek didn’t even kno-

“Do you know what happened to the wolves your family kept?”  _ Goddamnit he really could never keep his mouth shut _ .

“No… I thought they’d just ran away... are you saying they’re here?” Derek looked so hopeful at that.

“Yep. My dad told me about them right after it all happened. It’s the last trip we ever made with my mom, we came up here to see your wolves.” For a minute it was all good, till Derek’s nose pulled up in disgust. Stiles had to do a double take because he really didn’t understand that look, but then-. “No, no, Derek, it’s not a zoo or anything. It’s a sanctuary. They’ve got a pretty big territory, they have a pack. They’re not completely free, but they couldn’t be after your family took care of them for so long. They’re cared for here. And it’s not like people can just come in and visit to gawk at them.”

“Then why are we here?”

“Hey, I’m not just people.” Stiles said as he parked the car. But when Derek got out and gave him a deadpan stare he admitted, “Fine, I had Deaton pull some strings. Anyway, we’re way too early. Tell me about the wolves while we wait for the groundskeeper?” He made his way around the car and went to lean against Derek’s side. It was quite cold and werewolves were living furnaces, Stiles needed cuddles.

“It’s pretty normal for packs to have actual wolves, when their territories are in wolf habitats. My mom never thought she’d be able to get one because there are no wolves in California. But these two pups were given to her as a thank you gift from another pack. And only a couple months later Peter found a rejected pup while he was travelling.” Derek shrugged as if it was the most normal thing to just take in three wolf pups and start to take care of them. “They were more than pets to us, they were part of the pack. I never thought I’d get to see any of them again.”

Derek pulled Stiles into a tighter hug and placed a kiss on the top of his head. “Thank you. This is amazing.” He whispered in Stiles’ hair.

“Just you wait, it’s going to get even better.” which is exactly when the groundskeeper finally decided to join the party.

The groundskeeper introduced himself as Ben. He was the current emissary of the pack that originally founded the sanctuary. He didn’t waste a lot of time before leading them a bit further into the woods till they arrived at the entrance of the sanctuary. “I can’t let you into the territory, but you can walk the perimeter while I prepare th-“

“The next surprise!” Stiles quickly interrupted, before Ben could spoil the rest of Derek’s gift.

“You’re not giving me a wolf pup, are you?” Derek looked so shocked at the mere possibility.  

“Nope. Now come on, eyes on the wolves.” He laced his arm through Derek’s as they started walking next to the fence. They only spotted a couple of wolves here and there. It took them half an hour of walking before Derek suddenly stopped and pointed in the distance.

“That’s her. Arya,” the wolf Derek was pointing at was looking right at them. Derek took Stiles’ hand and gripped it tight, clearly choked up. Stiles didn’t want to interrupt the moment for him, so he just squeezed Derek’s hand and leaned against his shoulder while they both admired the sleek white wolf. She stood there for quite some time staring back at them before she eventually trotted off.

“She’s gorgeous,” Stiles stated, only getting a nod from Derek in response. “We should head back, can’t let Ben wait too long. We can come walk more afterwards, but believe me, you’ll want to see this first.”

As Stiles had thought, the groundskeeper was already waiting for them at the small cottage next to the entrance of the sanctuary. Ben waved them both over and Stiles had to keep himself from skipping. At the look on Derek’s face, Stiles could see that he was already able to hear what was inside the cottage.

“Wait, till I’ve got the camera ready, Derek. Erica will kill me if I don’t manage to film you in there.” Stiles was lucky his phone was easy to reach because Derek apparently couldn’t contain his excitement any longer as he just went inside. And there it was, by taking Derek here, Stiles had managed to give himself the best Christmas present. Because if there was one thing better than seeing Derek naked in his bed, it was seeing Derek laying on the ground cuddling with two adorable little wolf pups.

“These are Arya’s pups?” Derek asked while one of them crawled over his face and the other was trying to dig a hole in Derek’s stomach.

“Yes. They’re part of a litter of six pups, but Arya was too old for this. She’s not giving enough milk, we could only let her keep one. Three other pups were sent to a sanctuary in Oregon.” Ben clarified.

Derek being confused was adorable, Derek cuddling with wolf pups was adorable, Stiles simply couldn’t stand the combination. “So what’s going to happen to these two?”

“They’re for you and your pack.”

“But you said you weren’t giving me….” Stiles had never seen Derek’s eyes go this big before.

“I’m not. They’re a gift from Deaton. I told you he pulled some strings. And they’re not just for you, they’re an addition to the entire pack.”

“Stiles…” Stiles could barely wrap his head around it, but there were actual tears in Derek’s eyes, and the guy sounded almost pained as he said his name.

“Deaton is going to help you take care of them for the first couple of weeks.” Stiles added, because he just didn’t know what to do with Derek getting so emotional about his gift.

“And I’m going to come check in after a month and then again after another two months to see how you and your pack are dealing with them. If you’re not taking care of them properly, I’ll have to give them a better home.” Stiles knew it was an unnecessary threat. To Derek these pups were already family, were already pack. Stiles knew that Derek would rather die than give the little guys any less than perfect lives.

When they left, Derek took his place on the backseat next to the pups. Stiles couldn’t wait to show Erica the 20 minute long video of Derek being adorable. Not that they really needed the video, the whole pack would be seeing similar scenes unfold plenty of times in real life. Till the pups grew too big to be kept inside.

In the rearview mirror, Stiles saw Derek open the crate the pups were in, even though Stiles had told him not to because he didn’t want pee anywhere in his jeep.

“I’ll pay for the dry cleaning if anything happens,” Derek promised, not even taking his eyes off of the two wolves.

Stiles shook his head fondly, knowing those puppies were going to be the most spoilt wolves in the entire world. And he couldn’t wait to go buy them some toys and treats.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave some kudos or a comment if you enjoyed it! :D


End file.
